Bristol axes the Knowledge after only eight taxi drivers pass

Telegraph

2 days ago

Bristol has axed the Knowledge test for taxi drivers after only eight passed the quiz.
Council officials said the 'outdated' test, which requires drivers to learn road names and locations to get their passengers to their destinations quickly, had become a 'barrier'.
Figures revealed that just eight of 133 people taking it in Bristol this year managed to pass.
Drivers have to answer at least 75 out of 100 questions correctly and must also achieve a minimum pass mark in all 10 categories – four or five out of 10 questions in each.
A report to Bristol city council's public safety and protection committee, the 90-minute test was described as 'outdated'.
Test 'should prioritise safety'
In November 2023, a decision was taken to update Department for Transport guidance, with the committee report making it clear that topographical knowledge was no longer needed.
It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of use of sat nav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicle drivers.'
Instead, the report recommended that the sections that should stay in the test should prioritise safety, including child sexual exploitation, general road safety, along with how to calculate change, policy and legislation, and equality.
The committee further suggested the test needed to be strengthened with a wider range of questions and topics which protect public safety, including disability awareness, planning routes using navigation devices, conflict avoidance, and also what steps to take if they face racial abuse, abusive comments or hate speech.
The Knowledge was first introduced in 1865 as a requirement for taxi drivers, and it takes between three or four years to master the test. Drivers are taught precise locations and routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, along with places of interest or the district of a particular road.